Apparatus for adhesively securing flexible covering material to a backing sheet



F. WIESINGER 3,402,092 APPARATUS FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING FLEXIBLE COVERING Sept. 17, 1968 MATERIAL TO A BACKING SHEET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1964 W ii Sept. 17, 1968 F. WIESINGER 3,

APPARATUS FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING FLEXIBLE COVERING MATERIAL TO A BACKING SHEET Filed Nov. 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Mex/mam United States Patent 3,402,092 APPARATUS FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING FLEXIBLE COVERING MATERIAL TO A BACKING SHEET Frank Wiesinger, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, assignor to Lymba Products Limited, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Nov. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 411,046 8 Claims. (Cl. 156-468) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for securing an adhesively coated, flexible panel covering to a backing sheet having spaced and parallel dowels thereon including means to feed the panel covering progressively onto the backing sheet and dowels and having a reciprocating head pressing the flexible material around each dowel and at the same time holding the flexible material in position around the dowel immediately prior to the dowel being worked upon to prevent separation of the flexible material from said immediately prior dowel.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the application of panel covering material to a backing sheet to which spaced and parallel dowels have been secured adhesively. The backing materials for the panel can be all types of cardboard, plaster board, masonite, plywood and veneers, canvas, metal in sheet guage and such material.

The cross sectional configuration of the transversely situated dowels can be semi-cylindrical, square, rectangular, pyrmidal or conical as desired.

The facing materials can be all types of canvas, plastic or paper backed wood veneers, vinyl plastic and film, leatherettes, leather, paper such as wall paper and the like, cork veneer, and all types of fabrics, synthetic or natural.

The application of the facing material to the backing and dowel sheet, can of course be applied by hand and it is believed that certain experiments have been undertaken in the past in which a corrugated plate the size of the sheet, has been moved downwardly into engagement with the dowels and backing with the covering material therebetween.

However, it will be appreciated that difiiculty arises with use of such a corrugated sheet or pressure plate due to the fact that when the covering material is impressed downwardly over the dowels and upon the backing material, such covering material has to move longitudinally in order to take up the contour of the dowels so that under these circumstances, stretch or drag occurs thus making intimate adhesion impossible and, when such materials as paper are used, causing a splitting of said covering material.

I have overcome these disadvantages by providing a device in which the backing material, together with the dowels adhered thereto are fed along a table incrementally together with a source of covering material which is impressed over and between each dowel as it passes under the machine, further means being provided to hold the covering material just applied, in position, while the next succeeding dowel is being covered by the material.

The principal object and essence of the invention is therefore to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the backing material with the dowels secured thereto, is moved incrementally under a head which intimately presses the covering material around and between succeeding pairs of dowels thus eliminating any drag or tearing occurring to the covering material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device Patented Sept. 17, 1968 vice of the character herewithin described in which pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied to the covering material, or alternatively, adhesive may be applied to the covering material just prior to the contacting of the material to the dowels and backing sheet.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is readily adaptable for use with a variety of adhesives depending upon the covering material being utilized.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of my device.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary partially sectioned side view showing details of the head assembly.

FIGURE 4 is a section substantionally along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a section substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectioned view showing details of the ratchet gear and linkage assembly for moving the conveyor incrementally.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diflerent figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, it will be appreciated that, in the drawings, the transversely situated dowels .10 are shown with a conical cross sectional configuration, these dowels being adhesively secured to a backing sheet 11 prior to entry in the machine.

However, it will be appreciated that the cross sectional configuration of the dowels can be of any desired configuration and that the backing can be of any suitable material as hereinbefore described.

The machine is designed to produce a sheet of any desired length having a width of any desired dimension up to the capacity of the machine, said capacity preferably being in the range of 10 or 12 feet.

The dowels 10 are adhesively secured to the backing sheet 11 in spaced and parallel relationship and the backing material and the sheet are fed into the machine upon a planar table 12 supported upon supporting structure 13.

The underside of the table 12 is braced by means of brace 14 to supply rigidity to the device.

A transversely, vertically reciprocating head assembly collectively designated 15 is situated above the table, said head reciprocating upon vertical guide posts 16 extending upwardly from the table 12 adjacent the side edges 17 thereof.

The transversely situated head consists of a substantially U-shaped channel 18 having a further U-shaped channel 19 surrounding the underside 20 thereof and being secured to the side plates 21 of the channel 18 by means of bolts 22.

Limited adjustment is provided, controlling the relationship between the channel 19 and the channel 18 com.-

prising screw threaded bolt and nut assembly 23 engageable within side members 24- on the side plates 21 of the channel 18. These nut and bolt assemblies engage spacer bars 23 and the bolts 22 holding the channel 19' to the channel 18 pass through elongated slots (not illustrated) Within the channel 19 thus permitting limited vertical adjustment of the channel 19.

A transversely situated guide support member 24 is secured to the transverse flange 25 of the channel 19, said guide support carrying, for limited vertical reciprocation therewithin, a transversely situated hold down bar 26 normally maintained in the downward position shown in FIGURE 3 by means of mounting pins 27 screwed into the bar 26 and journalled for vertical movement over guide pins 28 extending downwardly from the member 24, springs 29 surrounding the guide pins 28 and reacting between the upper surface 30 of the member 24 and the upper ends 31 of the pins 27.

Also mounted within the member 24 and rearwardly of the hold down bar 26, is a material pressing bar collectively designated 32, one portion 33 of which is reciprocal within member 24 and in a similar manner to the hold down bar 26 so that similar reference characters have been used to identify corresponding parts.

The other portion 34 of the material pressing bar consists of a transversely situated member secured to the underside 35 of the transverse flange 25 of the member 19 and reference to FIGURE 3 will show that the cross sectional configuration of the material pressing bar portion 33 and the portion 34 is similar to the hold down bar 26.

Furthermore it will be appreciated that normally, the hold down bar 26 is situated below the portion 33 of the material pressing bar which in turn is normally maintained below the fixed portion 34 thereof so that when the head assembly 15 is lowered, the hold down bar 26 meets the panel being formed followed by the portion 33 of the material pressing bar and then by the portion 34 thereof, the reason for which will hereinafter become apparent.

Means are provided to move the backing material 11 together with the dowels 10 incrementally under the head 15 at which time the covering material 36 is intimately engaged to the portion 37 of the backing material between adjacent dowels 10 and around the exterior contours 38 of the dowels 10.

A free running endless conveyor collectively designated 39 is situated just beyond the table 12 and comprises a pair of rollers 40 around which extends a planar conveyor belt 41 which supports the panel being formed by the device.

Situated just above this conveyor 39 is a further conveyor collectively designated 42 which is relatively short in length and consists of an endless belt 43 extending around drums 44 mounted upon spindles 45 which in turn are journalled for rotation in between side plates 46 extending from the supporting structure collectively designated 47.

A plurality of spaced and parallel transversely situated ribs 48 are secured to the belt 43 and the spacing of these ribs is equivalent to the spacing of the dowels 10 of the panel and they are adapted to engage between adjacent dowels as the sheet is moved thereby.

Reference to FIGURE 2 will show a roll of covering material 46' journalled for rotation between bearing 47 situated upon the superstructure 48 of the device, the sheet 49 from the roll 46' passing around guide rollers 50, 51 and 52 journalled for rotation between the vertical supports 53 of the superstructure 48.

The covering material 49 may be backed with pressure sensitive adhesive or, alternatively, may pick up adhesive from the lower roll 52 which engages within a transversely extending adhesive containing trough 53 situated around the lower portion of the roller 52.

The sheet of covering material 49 is fed from the 4 roller 53 to under the head 15, the portion of the covering material under the head being identified by the previous reference character 36.

As the covering material covers adjacent dowels 38, it is necessary that the head 15 descend so that the hold down bar 26 engages between adjacent dowels 10 and presses the material around these dowels and against the backing material 11.

As the head descends further, the portion 33 of the material pressing bar engages the portion 36 of the covering material and forces it around the dowel 10 into engagement with the backing material 11 between adjacent dowels, followed by the fixed portion 34 of the presser bar, any pull or stretch of the material from dowels r previously covered, being eliminated by the hold down bar 26 so that excess material is taken up from the roll 46 rather than being pulled upwardly from the backing material 37 between adjacent dowels that have already been covered.

Drive means for the head are provided in the base of the machine in the form of an electric motor 50- operating a transverse shaft 51' journalled for rotation within bearings 52' as shown in FIGURE 1.

Eccentric cranks 53' are secured upon each end of the shaft 51' and vertically situated pitman arms 54 are in turn 'bearably supported upon cranks 53. In this connection, the length of the pitman arms may be adjusted by conventional means 55 in the usual manner.

The upper ends 56 of the pitman arms are bearing connected to the sides 57 of the head assembly 15 so that rotation of shaft 51 causes the head to reciprocate.

It is, of course, necessary for the backing material and dowels 10 to be moved incrementally under the head, being stationary as the head descends and in this connection the endless conveyor collectively designated 42 is operatively connected to the head as shown in FIGURE 1.

The upper ends 56 of the aforementioned pitmans, engages the sides 57 of the head upon the underside 58 thereof. Link rods 59 are bearing connected by the upper ends thereof 60 to the sides 57 of the head, and by the other end '61 thereof within a slotted portion 62 of a crank arm 63. Said crank arm is pivotally mounted by means of pivot pin 64 to the supporting framework and includes a relatively short arm 65 remote from the portion 62.

A ratchet gear 66 is secured to one end of one of the spindles 45 mounting the conveyor 42 and this ratchet gear is moved incrementally each time the crank arm 63 is moved by means of the link rods 59 connecting same to the head 15, a slotted bracket 67 being pro vided upon the end of the arm portion 65 for adjustment purposes. This slotted bracket carries the ratchet pull 6-8 engageable with the teeth of the ratchet gear 66 and a further ratchet 69 engages the teeth and prevents any rearward movement of this gear.

As the head reciprocates upon the guides 16, the conveyor 42 is moved incrementally by means of the ratchet gear 66 so that the material 49 is intimately impressed around the dowels 10 and the backing 11 between said dowels thus providing a rapid method of securing the covering material to the dowel and backing sheet 10 and 11.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A device for the application of panel covering material to panels which include a backing and a plurality of spaced and parallel dowels, secured to said backing; comprising in combination a planar table, feed means for feeding said backing and dowels incrementally along said table; a source of covering material, for feeding the cover material having adhesive thereon to secure said covering material to at least the backing between said dowels, a reciprocating head assembly situated above said table, a source of power for said head, and means on said head engageable between adjacent dowels when said head is in the lowermost position, to press said covering material into intimate adhering contact with said backing and between said dowels and over said dowels and means operatively connected to said reciprocating head to drive said feed means for said incremental feeding.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said head includes a spring loaded cover hold down bar engageable between adjacent dowels and a spring loaded cover material pressing bar situated behind said hold down bar, said cover hold down bar normally extending below said material pressing bar so that said cover hold down bar engages between adjacent dowels just prior to said material pressing bar engaging between next adjacent pair of dowels.

3. The device according to claim 2 in which the cross sectional configuration of said hold down bar is similar to the cross sectional configuration of the side faces of said adjacent dowels and said backing material between adjacent dowels.

4. The device according to claim 3 in which said material pressing bar comprises a spring loaded movable portion and a fixed portion secured to the underside of said head, said spring loaded movable portion engaging between adjacent dowels just prior to said fixed portion, the cross sectional configuration of said spring loaded movable portion and said fixed portion together being similar to the cross sectional configuration of said hold down bar.

5. The device according to claim 1 in which said feed means for feeding said backing and dowels incrementally along said table include at least one endless track conveyor situated above said table and engageable with said panel after said covering material has been applied thereto, said endless track conveyor including a plurality of transverse ribs, the spacing of which is similar to the spacing of said dowels so that said ribs engage between adjacent dowels, and a free running support conveyor under said endless track conveyor, said panel resting on said support conveyor.

6. The device according to claim 2 in which said feed means for feeding said backing and dowels incrementally along said table include at least one endless track conveyor situated above said table and engageable with said panel after said covering material has been applied thereto, said endless track conveyor including a plurality of transverse ribs, the spacing of which is similar to the spacing of said dowels so that said ribs engage between adjacent dowels, and a free running support conveyor under said endless track conveyor, said panel resting on said support conveyor.

7. The device according to claim 3 in which said feed means for feeding said backing and dowels incrementally along said table include at least one endless track conveyor situated above said table and engageable with said panel after said covering material has been applied thereto, said endless track conveyor including a plurality of transverse ribs, the spacing of which is similar to the spacing of said dowels so that said ribs engage between adjacent dowels, and a free running support conveyor under said endless track conveyor, said panel resting on said support conveyor.

8. The device according to claim 4 in which said feed means for feeding said backing and dowels incrementally along said table include at least one endless track conveyor situated above said table and engageable with said panel after said covering material has been applied thereto, said endless track conveyor including a plurality of transverse ribs, the spacing of which is similar to the spacing of said dowels so that said ribs engage between adjacent dowels, and a free running support conveyor under said endless track conveyor, said panel resting on said support conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,564 5/1956 Woodburn 156477 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 208,571 6/ 1957 Australia.

PHILIP DIER, Primary Ex'aminer. 

